Two-year-old Iris Hartman bites into a grilled cheese sandwich as big as her face.
Accompanied by her parents, the new Colwood resident lounges quietly at one of four newly installed picnic tables along Ocean Boulevard, where the sun-soaked Esquimalt Lagoon serves as the backdrop for lunch. Last Friday was Colwood’s first ever Beach Food Friday.
“We’ve started offering food trucks on (Fridays) here at the Lagoon, where we will have a couple of local food vendors,” said City of Colwood spokesperson Sandra Russell. “We are hoping lots of people come down and enjoy the fresh air and take a walk and have a bite to eat and have a good time.”
Every Friday through Aug. 26, food trucks that include Grilled to the Mac, Wannawafel, L’authentique Poutine & Burgers and Jackson’s Ice Cream, among others, will be parked near the welcome sign on Ocean Boulevard between 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
During this trial period, Russell said, most Fridays will see a dessert truck, a meal truck and a drink truck servicing the area, with the idea of seeing how well the public responds.
“If this trial works well, we will be looking at doing weekends when there is even more people down here, but for now we are easing into it and trying Fridays.”
The day was chosen in part because public works crews can keep an eye on the waterfront to ensure there isn’t a negative impact on the beach. Food vendors are responsible for taking away anything they bring in and providing trash receptacles for their customers.
“We want to bring our community together and connect people and have them come out and enjoy the fresh air,” Russell said. “It’s a great place to enjoy dinner or lunch at the beach. A lot of people already do that and this is just making it easier.”
Beach Food Fridays see the trucks on site from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
alim@goldstreamgazette.com